Thermally conductive grease composition and semiconductor device using the same

Abstract

A grease composition having high thermal conductivity and excellent dispensation suitability, comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a base oil and (B) 500 to 1,200 parts by weight of metallic aluminum powder having the average particle size in the range of 0.5-50 mum; wherein the aluminum powder is a mixture of fine metallic aluminum powder having an average size of 0.5 to 5 mum and coarse metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size of 10 to 40 mum; and a semiconductor device utilizing the aforesaid grease composition.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A thermally conductive grease composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a base oil wherein said base oil is at least one oil of a liquid silicone, a liquid hydrocarbon or a fluorinated hydrocarbon oil wherein said fluorinated hydrocarbon oil is at least one oil selected from a polychlorotrifluoroethylene, a fluoroester or a polyperfluoroalkyl ether, (B) 500 to 1,200 parts by weight of metallic aluminum powder having the average particle size in the range of 0.5-50 μm and (C) zinc oxide powder having an average particle size in the range of 0.2-5 μm or hexagonal boron nitride powder having an average particle size in the range of 1-5 μm, wherein said aluminum powder is a 9:1 to 1:9 by weight mixture of fine metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size of 0.5 to 5 μm and coarse metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size of 10 to 40 μm, and said Components (B) and (C) are contained in a total amount of 900-1416 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said base oil and in proportion satisfying a relation that the (C)/[(B)+(C)] ratio is not greater than 0.5 by weight. 
     
     
       2. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 1  having a thermal conductivity of at least 3.8 W/mk. 
     
     
       3. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 1  having a thermal conductivity of 3.8-4.2 W/mk. 
     
     
       4. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of said liquid silicone is from 50 to 500,000 cs at 25° C. 
     
     
       5. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said metallic aluminum powder has a surface treated with an organosilane represented by R 2   b SiY 4−b  or partial hydrolysis-condensation products thereof, wherein R 2  is a hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms or a group formed by substituting halogen atoms for part or all of hydrogen atoms in the hydrocarbon group, Y is a hydrolyzable group, b is an integer of 1 to 3. 
     
     
       6. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid silicone is an organopolysiloxane represented by formula R 1   a SiO (4−a)/2  wherein each R 1  group is a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, or an unsubstituted or a substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 30 carbon atoms, an amino group-containing a hydrocarbon group or epoxy group-containing a hydrocarbon group, and “a” is a number of 1.8-2.3 
     
     
       7. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 6 , wherein said unsubstituted or substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group comprises an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group or a group formed by substituting a halogen atom, cyano group or hydroxyl group for at least one of the hydrogen atoms attached to carbon atoms in the groups recited above. 
     
     
       8. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the group as R 1  is a methyl group, a phenyl group or an alkyl group containing 6 to 14 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       9. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the base oil is a mixture of a liquid hydrocarbon and a fluorinated hydrocarbon oil. 
     
     
       10. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 9 , wherein said liquid hydrocarbon is at least one oil selected from a paraffin oil, a naphthene oil, an alpha-olefin oligomer, a polybutene, a polyalkylene glycol, a diester, a polyol ether or a phosphate. 
     
     
       11. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 9 , wherein the viscosity of the liquid hydrocarbon is from 50 to 500,000 cs at 25° C. 
     
     
       12. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 9 , wherein said fluorinated hydrocarbon oil is at least one oil selected from a polychlorotrifluoroethylene, a fluoroester or a polyperfluoroalkyl ether. 
     
     
       13. A thermally conductive grease composition according to  claim 12 , wherein the fluoroester is a sebacic acid ester of a C 7  perfluoroalcohol, a pyromellitic acid ester of a perfluoroalcohol, or a camphoric acid ester of a perfluoroalcohol; and the perfluoroalkyl ether is represented by the formula VII or VIII:                    
     
     
       14. A thermally conductive grease composition having a thermal conductivity of at least 3.8 W/mk comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of a base oil and (B) 500 to 1,200 parts by weight of metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size in the range of 0.5-50 μm wherein said aluminum powder is a 9:1 to 1:9 by weight mixture of fine metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size of 10 to 40 μm; wherein said base oil is at least one oil of a liquid silicone, a liquid hydrocarbon or a fluorinated hydrocarbon oil wherein said fluorinated hydrocarbon oil is at least one oil selected from a polychlorotrifluoroethylene, a fluoroester or a polyperfluoroalkyl ether. 
     
     
       15. A semiconductor device holding a thermally conductive grease composition having a thermal conductivity of at least 3.8 W/mk between a semiconductor element and a dissipator to remove the heat the semiconductor element generates, wherein the thermally conductive grease composition comprises (A) 100 parts by weight of a base oil wherein said base oil is at least one oil of a liquid silicone, a liquid hydrocarbon or a fluorinated hydrocarbon oil wherein said fluorinated hydrocarbon oil is at least one oil selected from a polychlorotrifluoroethylene, a fluoroester or a polyperfluoroalkyl ether and (B) 500 to 1,200 parts by weight of metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size in the range of 0.5-50 μm and forms a layer having a thickness of 50 to 500 μm wherein said aluminum powder is a 9:1 to 1:9 by weight mixture of fine metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size of 0.5 to 5 μm and coarse metallic aluminum powder having an average particle size of 10 to 40 μm. 
     
     
       16. A semiconductor device according to  claim 15 , wherein the thermally conductive grease composition is spread over the bare area of the silicon surf ace of semiconductor element on the dissipator side.